7 Presidents Who Thought Like Engineers

Most presidents come from an academic or professional background that involves letters -- law, writing, maybe journalism or education. Few bring to the office what one might call a technical background.

Only one, Herbert Hoover, was in the strictest sense an engineer by trade. And only one other president, Jimmy Carter, studied engineering in college. However, several of our earliest presidents worked as land surveyors, a lost art that involves a technical mastery of cartography. Some have labored with their hands and minds in similar conditions as electrical engineers today. Others have faced technological transformations while in office.

For this Presidents' Day, we look back at seven Presidents who thought the way engineers do -- seven of the most technical leaders of the free world.

... generally looking at problems in a practical way, airing different points of view and then trying something--and if it doesn't work, admitting it and trying to fix it.

Sorry, Rick, but I think a whole lot of people will disagree with your specifically on this score. There are probably many examples of illogical thinking on our President's part, but one really glaring one is his insistence that people could hold on to their existing health care plans, when Obamacare took effect. When I first heard him say that, I couldn't believe my ears. And this has absolutely NOTHING to do with whether or not I support the principles of Obamacare, which generally I do. This is simple understanding of cause and effect. Not to mention, his insistence that Obamacare would save money. Another example of serious lack of logic.

Another example might be his long term support of ethanol, without first considering what the net effect of producing ethanol was to gasoline usage. Some things should ring alarm bells to make one ask important questions, BEFORE making decisions.

The idea that being able to play with electronic handheld toys makes you "think like an engineer" seems kind of silly to me. Lawyer, all the way, makes a lot more sense.

Politics aside (I know the engineering comminity embraces a wide political spectrum) I buy Obama as part of the list but not for the reasons the author gives. I think he in the words of theheadline "thionks like an engineer," generally looking at problems in a practical way, airing different points of view and then trying something--and if it doesn't work, admitting it and trying to fix it.

I realize of course he leans to the liberal side and some engineers tend to be conservative or in the case of one of our giants, TJ Rodgers, libertarian.

All polemics aside, Obama really does not belong on that list (and I proudly voted for him--twice). It's as if you gave credit to a president for being able to type, when typewriters were the principal means of recording ideas, or for using a pen, when pens were all we had. In other words: You're pushing it.

Au contraire, Barack Hussein Obama should be at the top of the list. In his role as chief demolition engineer of the United States of America he is successfully presiding over the destruction of the most magnificent and most civil society ever created by mankind.

On his watch, we have spent roughly the same amount as that spent during _all_ past administrations combined.

Along with his design team in the House and the Senate, he has championed the most complex law not even dreamed of by his predecessors. The complex and punitive nature of this law is already systematically tearing down the most sophisticated and high quality health care system in the world.

Most engineers must obey the laws of physics; their designs simply will not work if they don't. BHO has perfected a way to circumvent the laws that past presidents have had to work within, especially that pesky Constitution. His solution is simple and quite elegant. Simply ignore the laws that you don't like. No Congress in their right mind would ever impeach the first black president so full steam ahead!